ALA Booklist (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Fantasist Hale's foray into sci-fi thriller about teens possessed by alien nanotechnology a rocky one, with pell-mell plotting and sketchy world building, though it hits the right notes for blockbuster appeal. Maisie Danger Brown, born with only one hand, had given up on becoming an astronaut when she wins three weeks at an astronaut boot camp run by Bonnie Howell, creator of the world's only space elevator. Maisie and four others, including misunderstood hottie Wilder, are rewarded with a jaunt up this space beanstalk, where they come into contact with alien tech: tokens that melt into their bodies, imbuing each teen with powers that make them capable of taking over the world protecting it from invaders. This stand-alone novel has a trilogy's worth of ideas, resulting in a convoluted story moving too fast for the serious moments (such as a character having his arm chopped off) to have emotional impact. Hale's energetic writing carries the rough patches, though, and Maisie is an intelligent, self-aware hero, even when in the throes of romance. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The sky is indeed the limit here, with a 10-city national tour, advertising that will cover the media spectrum, video trailers, and more.

Horn Book

Maisie, self-proclaimed "one-handed freak," goes to astronaut camp, but a cute fellow camper and alien technology that grants superpowers make the experience quite different from what she expected. The fluidly written story moves at lightning speed, though this hampers character development slightly; while some plot elements don't quite fit together, the action and well-handled romantic drama are the novel's real driving forces.

Kirkus Reviews

Fairy-tale–telling Hale tackles straight-up science fiction in a tale seemingly tailor-made to forestall complaints about lovelorn teen heroines and all-white casts of characters. Maisie Danger Brown (really), smart, home-schooled, one-handed half-Paraguayan daughter of scientists, has always dreamed of being an astronaut. When she sees an ad for a space camp competition from Bonnie Howell, the woman who built the world's first (and only) space elevator, she can't resist. And she wins! Space camp is electrifying, especially charming Wilder—Maisie knows it's just hormones and an immature brain, but it feels good. Then Howell takes the strongest team (Maisie's) plus Wilder on a ride into space, and the five teens end up infected by nanotechnology tokens of extraterrestrial origins. Whew! Cue a dark, superherolike tale: Friends die, adventures are had, kisses are exchanged, the Earth is saved. The tale is choppy at times and weak on worldbuilding, with surprisingly thin characterization—but girl power abounds, and the pages keep turning. The romance that Maisie resists and recognizes as mostly just a hormonal rush is endearing and happily doesn't quite overshadow saving the world or her family, although it sometimes comes close. A change of pace that largely succeeds, showing that Hale's range is wider than her readers might have expected. (Science fiction. 12-16)

School Library Journal (Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2014)

Gr 7 Up-Her middle name may be Danger, but Maisie "Danger" Brown doesn't seem a likely action heroine. She is a homeschooled half-Latina science geek with a special love for physics and astronomy, and she has an artificial arm. When she wins a contest to go to astronaut camp with other teens, her life changes dramatically. Her team gets an opportunity to go up in a space elevator, and she and four others, including Wilder, the boy she's crushing on, are exposed to alien artifacts or "tokens," which enter their bodies and give them superpowers. Maisie becomes a tech whiz, one teen becomes superstrong and beastlike, another is able to shoot objects from her fingers, one teammate gains the ability to grow armor and weaponry from his body, and Wilder becomes the Thinker, a mastermind who can direct them all on a mission envisioned by the aliens who created the tokens. But what is the group's ultimate purpose? Will they survive the alien mission? And will they be able to escape the grasp of the humans competing to exploit them and the alien technology, including Wilder's own unscrupulous father? This fast-paced science fiction novel with echoes of the "Fantastic Four" comics doesn't let up for a moment. Maisie is a strong, smart heroine with a wry sense of humor, and readers will be rooting for her to save the world. A must-read for fans of superhero adventures. Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ

Voice of Youth Advocates

Maisie Danger Brown has dreamed of being an astronaut her entire life. When a contest gives her the opportunity to attend the most famous astronaut boot camp in the world, Maisie and her scientist parents cannot pass up the chance. With only one arm, Maisie would probably never be chosen to train otherwise. Once there, her determination and intelligence earn Maisie another great opportunity: the chance to ride the "Beanstalk," the world's only elevator into space. Maisie and four other teens are accidentally exposed to alien technology while on the space station, though, leading to some scary consequences. Each gains a unique ability, and they all find themselves tied to one another, unwilling to be apart, sure that they are destined for some greatness as a team. When one member dies, Maisie realizes that she may not be able to trust anyonethe scientists who want to study her, the madman who wants to control her, even the other members of her team. With the entire world on the line, Maisie has to determine if she, alone, can save those she loves, or if risking an alliance could be the answer.Hale writes her first suspenseful science fiction novel with great success. Maisie Danger Brown is a strong, smart, unique character. Her emotional reactions to first love, then betrayal, and suddenly being thrust into an extraordinary and dangerous situation, all ring true. The technologies utilized in Dangerous seem plausible and well researched, lending credence and adding a deeper layer of terror to the possibility of alien invasions. Fans of Hale's previous work, as well as those with no prior knowledge, will enjoy this new addition to the growing young adult science fiction field.Jessica Miller.